Improvement in devices for tightening wire fences



NTTRD STATES PETER s, CRAWFORD, or UN1oN,IiLLiNois.

IMPROVEMENT IN DEVICES FOR TIGHTENING WIRE FENCES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 54,] 19, dated April 24, 1866.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, PRRER S. CRAWFORD, of Union, in the county of McHenry and State of Illinois, have invented an Attachment for Tightening Wire Fences; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of' this specification, in which- Figure l is a perspective representation of my attachmentfor tightening wire fences. Fi g.

` 2 is a view of the under side ot' the same.

The object ot' my invention is to construct a device by means ot' which the Wires of a fence can be conveniently tightened Without loosening the ends of the wires from the posts to which/they are attached 5 also, to so arrange the device that it can be used by farmers and other persons who are not especially skilled in building fences.

In my invention l claim to have introduced an appliance which may be attached to each wire of the tence and operated at any time in drawing the wires tight after the same have been loosened, and to so arrange the attachment that it may be applied at much less cost than by the usual methods.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will describe the method of construction and operation.

A shows the lever, a transverse section of Which is made triangular for the purpose ot' securing as much strength as possible from a small amount ot' iron. This lever A is made Wider near one end than at the other for the purpose of supporting the drum B.

To the smaller end of this lever A is attached the hook D', the object'of which is to secure the small end of the lever to the Wire after the same has been tightened.

B represents the drum, the diameter of Which is made a little smaller than the Width of the lever A, to the under side of which it is attached. In the lower end of this drum B is made the slot C, which is to be adjusted upon the wire when the same is to be tightened.

rIhe corners of the drum B adjoining the slot C are made circular for the purpose of preventing the wire from being broken when the same is wound around the drum during the process of straining thc Wire.

E shows the rims attached to the lower end of the drum B and terminating at the circular parts of the slot C. rlhe object of these rims is for preventing the Wire from becoming detached from the drum B when theattachment is in use.

The material used is generally cast-iron, and all parts of the attachment can be molded and cast solid, which is the least expensive.

Operation: In order t0 use my invention it is necessary to use an attachment for each wire of the fence at intervals of about forty rods, according to the slack of the wire. The slot C must be placed upon the wire which is to .be tightened, and the lever A must then be turned around so as to Wind the slack wire upon the drum B until the Wire is strained to the required tension. The hook D must then be adjusted upon the wire so as to hold the small end of the lever securely to the same. The attachment must then be left attached to the wire for the purpose of holding the same.

tight.

It' the wire again becomes loosened the lever can be turned around until Vthe Wire is again made tight. The tightener must be applied at the center ofthe wire in the stead ofthe end.

The red lines X represent the wire adjusted in the slot C and wound around the drum B in the position it is supposed to occupy after the Wire has been tightened.

Having thus fully described my device, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

The arrangement and combination of the lever A and hook D, with the drum B and rims E, when constructed and operated as set forth, and for the purpose described.

PETER S. CRAWFORD.

Witnesses GEO. L. GHAPIN, ALBERT HAYWARD. 

